Plate tong



De. 15, 1942. H A H 2,305,054 PLATE'TONG F iled Feb. 2, 1942 HARRY A SH Patented Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLATE TONG Harry Ash, Houston, Tex.

Application February 2, 1942, Serial No. 429,159

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a plate tong.

An object of the invention is to provide a tong of the character described specially designed for handling heavy plates and similar objects.

Metal plates for use in ship building or other construction work are usually very heavy and are difficult to handle for the reason that the plates have no attaching means for fastening a lifting cable or other lifting device thereto. The tong herein described has been specially designed to form attaching means for the lifting cable to the plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tong of the character described that may be readily engaged with and released from the plate and is of such construction that it will securely grip the plate while the latter is being handled with the tong.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the tong in en gagement with the plate to be lifted.

Figure 2 shows an edge view, and

Figure 3 shows a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numerals I, l designate similar tong handles which are pivoted together by the pin 2, said pin having an enlarged head 3 on one end and having a retaining Washer 4 on the other end welded thereto.

Each handle is extended beyond the pin 2, said extended ends forming the jaw carriers 5, 5.

As will be noted from an inspection of Figure 2, the adjacent portions of the handles l are outwardly offset so that the free ends of the handles as well as the jaw carriers will be in approximate alignment.

The jaw carriers have the rectangular notches 6, 6 in their facing sides in which are seated jaws 1, 1.

As will be noted from an inspection of Figure 3, the jaws are considerably wider than the carriers 5 and have the plate-like extensions 8, 8 which embrace said carriers and which are secured thereto by means of set screws 9, 9. These set screws are threaded through the extensions 8, 8 and their inner ends are pointed and seated in recesses l0, [0 in the carriers whereby the jaws are firmly secured in place but may be readily detached and replaced. The jaws are fitted snugly in the notches 6 so as to relieve the set screws from any substantial strain.

The inner margins of the jaws are arcuate and are formed with sharp teeth H.

The free ends of the handles are connected by a flexible tie member as a chain !2. Connected to the chain midway between the free ends of the handles, there is an inverted U-shaped shackle I 3 provided to receive a lifting hook l4 carried by the cab-1e of a winch or other lifting appliance.

One of the handles is provided with a grip member l5 whereby the tong may be handled and applied to the work.

In use the tong is applied to the plate to be lifted with the jaws on opposite sides of the plate; the hook l4 may then be elevated which will cause the free ends of the handles to move together, causing the jaws to grip the plate. The teeth II are pitched upwardly so that they will bite into the material of the plate as the plate is lifted and securely hold it: The plate may be then swung about to the desired location and when the chain I2 is permitted to slacken the tong will release the plate. 7

It is obvious that the tong may be used for lifting any type of object of a thickness to be engaged by the jaws.

The drawing and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A tong comprising a pair of handles pivotally connected together at one end and formed with extended jaw carriers having inside marginal notches, a flexible member connecting the other ends of the handles, the adjacent portions of said handles being outwardly offset with the free ends of the handles and the jaw carriers in alignment, the inner margins of the carriers having notches, jaws seated in said notches and having side extensions which embrace the carriers, set screws threaded through said side extensions and in engagement with the carriers whereby the jaws are detachably connected to the carriers, the inner margins of the jaws being arcuate and serrated, and a shackle connected to the flexible member midway between the free ends of the handles and forming attaching means for a lift ing device.

HARRY ASH. 

